check out Ebay for the manual, there are a couple other places, but I do not recall where they are.

Trans. is best with mobil-1 ATF at the low end, or if you can find it, royal purple or amsoil ATF. If you really want the best, find Amsoil torque-drive or Castrol trans-synd. Those last two are a little more difficult, as they come in gallon jugs and are for big rigs, but has the exact specifications that the original DEX-III fluid had. Do not believe other who say they are backward compatible, they are too thin.

...Sasha: 2000 SL1, Manual, 130,500 miles 5-18-2014.

I learn from my experiences. If I screw up, I'm sorry.

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help quantumech reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!

check out Ebay for the manual, there are a couple other places, but I do not recall where they are.

Trans. is best with mobil-1 ATF at the low end, or if you can find it, royal purple or amsoil ATF. If you really want the best, find Amsoil torque-drive or Castrol trans-synd. Those last two are a little more difficult, as they come in gallon jugs and are for big rigs, but has the exact specifications that the original DEX-III fluid had. Do not believe other who say they are backward compatible, they are too thin.

What is too thin?

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help underthehood reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!

I recently changed the manual trans fluid in the car my daughter bought to (IIRC Valvoline Max Life Dex III). Since than the shifting has become progressively "notchier" the only way I can describe it. It just does not "snick" gear to gear. So I have been lurking and researching fluid info.
I have seen recommendations for Castrol Trans-Synd and Amsoil Torque Drive. So digging even more deeply landed me to some Allison forums and this info. One is a GM document regarding Dex VI and backward compatibility the other is information for those of you who live in far northern IL (central and NW area) it's a link to Allison dealers in case you'd like to buy trans synd. Oddly if you go to a GM dealer they will sell you Dex VI for an Allison trans! http://www.allisontransmission.com/l...oint/index.jsp so this is the Allison link.
BTW not wanting to open can of worms just found some of this interesting. Personally I am going to find the Amsoil or the Trans Synd for the manual car as I am just not happy with how the shifts "feel" unless someone has a better recommendation that is easier to find and performs as well.

Dexron - 6 is not any good in the manual. Nor is it going to play well long term in the automatic. The S-Series is out of warranty coverage and GM could care less what goes into either one.

Allison spent lots of $$ developing Transynd and Amsoil spent a bunch developing their equivalent, Torque-Drive. They just might know what they are doing. Notice that neither company has gone broke and come running to Uncle Sugar for a handout.

For the manual you can use a Dexron/Mercon universal ATF, Torque-Drive/Transynd, or Manual Synchromesh Transmission Fluid 5W-30.

The automatic seems to do well on the Dexron/Mercon universal ATF.

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help OldNuc reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!

Dexron - 6 is not any good in the manual. Nor is it going to play well long term in the automatic. The S-Series is out of warranty coverage and GM could care less what goes into either one.

Allison spent lots of $$ developing Transynd and Amsoil spent a bunch developing their equivalent, Torque-Drive. They just might know what they are doing. Notice that neither company has gone broke and come running to Uncle Sugar for a handout.

For the manual you can use a Dexron/Mercon universal ATF, Torque-Drive/Transynd, or Manual Synchromesh Transmission Fluid 5W-30.

The automatic seems to do well on the Dexron/Mercon universal ATF.

I see Royal Purple has a product meeting the Allison 295 spec but additionally one for manual units called Synchro Mesh that seems like it too would be well suited. Any input on that? The Castrol and Amsoil are a little high and hard to find but I did find the Automatic fluid at Advance Auto today. Looking at the RP web site I found the manual fluid.

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help underthehood reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!

Either RP product works. The synchromesh is a GM spec product and is a 5w-30. It will prove a bit thick in real cold climates and is better suited for the desert southwest. Just about any full PAO synthetic universal ATF, Allison 295 spec, or GM synchromesh will work. The order is from thin to thick. The good news is you can fill the manual and forget it but if you use a synthetic in the automatic you should change the filter and run an oil sample to gauge fluid life.

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help OldNuc reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!

Either RP product works. The synchromesh is a GM spec product and is a 5w-30. It will prove a bit thick in real cold climates and is better suited for the desert southwest. Just about any full PAO synthetic universal ATF, Allison 295 spec, or GM synchromesh will work. The order is from thin to thick. The good news is you can fill the manual and forget it but if you use a synthetic in the automatic you should change the filter and run an oil sample to gauge fluid life.

Cool. I just can't get my head around the new manuals with basically auto fluid in them. Used to the old 80/90w stuff. Have not owned a (well I really don't own this one) manual since my old Ford truck top loader. I just want this one to shift well since it's the kid's car (though she has kinda stuck it on me since she can't figure out driving it). Like I indicated everything works well enough just the shift feels "notchy" is the best way to describe it like it sometimes wants to fight the synchros. I know it's a Saturn not a BMW just that it shifts more like my old Ford truck than the BMW I had years ago. Guess I'll try the RP Auto stuff since it's on the shelf and meets those Allison specs I've seen thrown around here.

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help underthehood reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!

I see Royal Purple has a product meeting the Allison 295 spec but additionally one for manual units called Synchro Mesh that seems like it too would be well suited. Any input on that? The Castrol and Amsoil are a little high and hard to find but I did find the Automatic fluid at Advance Auto today. Looking at the RP web site I found the manual fluid.

This link might give you some more options to try to find the TES 295 approved fluid. A lot of the commercial truck places, or maybe the John Deere place, carry it.

Allison spent lots of $$ developing Transynd and Amsoil spent a bunch developing their equivalent, Torque-Drive. They just might know what they are doing. Notice that neither company has gone broke and come running to Uncle Sugar for a handout.

Even Amsoil admits they reverse engineered the Torque Drive from the Castrol product. The research they did was lab analysis. Maybe some day they will quit claiming that Allison won't allow anything other than Transynd to be approved, and just admit they are too cheap to deal with the approval process.

REWARD EXCELLENCE!

Rate the quality of this post and help Signmaster reputation points. Click the reputation button near the bottom left corner of this message box. Thank you!